by Ian Rodgers
I took another bow, before Liliana started clapping her hands excitedly.
“Oh my goodness! Jelly, that was amazing! How did you do that? Was this what you’ve been doing while watching me practice with Rene this whole time? Amazing! Amazing!” Liliana cried, giddy with joy as she praised me. I put an arm behind my head and shuffled my feet, imitating a bashful expression. At that, my owner squealed loudly in glee and swept me up, hugging me tight and praising my efforts more and more.
I felt a warm glow build inside me, and I basked in her adulations. My impromptu plan had certainly cheered her up.
Orleen was still trying to merge with the wall in surprise, so Liliana had to call one of the other maids to help her dress herself today. She managed fairly well, deciding to go with a simple sun dress and skirt that were both pale yellow with emerald green patterns woven along the edges. She rushed down to the room where breakfast was served, startling her brother and father who were currently inside partaking of the morning meal. Unlike dinner, which every member of the royal family participates in, breakfast was more up to chance for members of the family to eat together, and lunch was almost always served and eaten separately from the rest except in certain cases like tea parties or luncheons with guests.
“Father! Julius! Look at what Jelly learned how to do!” Liliana cried, presenting me to her sibling and parent like I was an astonishing object. Which I was, of course, but still.
While she dressed and then dashed for the dining room, I had returned to my rotund form in order to conserve energy. It took a lot of effort to maintain my bipedal shape, and I’d had a feeling she’d want to show me off.
Placing me onto the table in full view of her gathered family and a handful of staff, Liliana beams proudly. They all look on politely. The princess had shown me off often enough before, showing off my astonish ability to leap, my limbs and their range of control, and my willingness to eat even the most stinky of cheeses without complaint.
Today I blew away their expectations. Like earlier in the bedroom, I concentrated and focused and soon grew into a biped form.
It was times like this that I was glad I had the capacity for retaining memories. Because the looks on the faces of everyone was priceless!
Thanks to my physical training, my sensory powers had expanded in correlation as well, and now I am able to not only “see” almost one hundred feet around me, but also perceive colors more clearly and analysis things under my direct scrutiny. That worked well, as I could “see” everyone in the room simultaneously, and thus also their reactions.
King Tiberius’ jaw was slack, and his eyes were fogged over in stupefaction. The servants all had different reactions, some dropping what they’d been holding, others started screaming and backpedaling into a wall, yet others swore out loud in shock and reaching for concealed weapons. Only Julius remained unterrified, shouting out “Cool!” before leaning in for a closer look. I showed off my new range of movements and he was quick to praise me.
I looked around at the rest of the people and scoffed mentally at their overreactions. Sure, it might have looked weird, and yes, it was a surprise, but was it really so shocking for a slime like myself to take on a humanoid-ish body and do some ballroom dancing on a table?
…On second thought, don’t answer that.
“What is going on in here?” Everyone shook themselves out of their stupors or excitement to look at the source of the disapproving voice. In the door way Queen Amdora and Lady Rene were both standing there, looking onto the scene before them with confusion and suspicion. They hadn’t seen me yet, as Liliana was blocking their line of sight to me.
“Oh, mother! And Rene! I was just showing everyone Jelly’s new trick!”
“Is that so? Then please, enlighten me as to what could be so stunning,” Queen Amdora dryly stated. Her daughter nodded eagerly and stepped aside so the two women could see me.
I gave the queen and tutor a friendly wave. The queen’s face paled rapidly, and for a moment I thought she’d faint. She quickly rallied herself, however, and shakily stumbled over to a vacant seat at the table.
“Is it too early in the morning for a stiff drink?” She asked one of the servants, who just shrugged helplessly.
“Make it a double,” King Tiberius ordered, giving his own request, and the servant hurried off to fetch some liquid courage.
“How interesting,” Rene mused, her own surprise quickly giving way to a scheming grin.
“Congratulations, my dear. You and your brother now have a new partner to practice with.”
Uh oh. ‘Maybe I should have thought this through?’ I wondered as I start to dread the next few days. Based on the eager grins of Liliana and Julius, and the smirk on Rene, I could safely assume boredom wouldn’t be much of a problem from that point one.
Here’s a little exercise for you folks out there. Try balancing a plate on your head while standing on one leg. Then, move forward by merely shuffling your one foot. Move too fast, and you just stumble and everything falls down. But if you don’t move, then someone comes up behind you and starts poking your back.
That was what it was like for me trying to practice bipedal locomotion. I needed to focus on creating each legs, then maintaining it, then actively lifting it and moving it in front of each one after the other. By the gods. This wasn’t quiet torture, since I was willingly doing it to myself, but it sure wasn’t pleasant.
Without any muscles or bones or tendons or nerves, the strain on my body was of a different variety. When I grew tired, it became harder to not only maintain my pseudopods, but also my sensory abilities. When I over reached not only did I revert back into my spherical form, but I also became unable to see more than a foot or so beyond me. Moving also got harder, since I used up stamina to maintain my new form, which I also needed to move it, or myself au naturel.
But I was improving. Under Rene’s tutelage I learned how to save energy when I moved. I used up less stamina and mana with my movements by cutting down on excessive actions.
I was eating more as well. Before, I only needed a pound or so of food a day. Now, I had to consume five times more food to make up for the nutrients and energy I loose while training. The healing potions helped a lot. I recovered faster when I drank them, and I processed their magical energy better than solid foods.
“No, no, not that like! You’re putting too much thought into you actions, Jelly. You need to be graceful and fluid with your steps. Try following your princess’s lead this time.” Rene interrupted my musings with a clap of her hands, grabbing my attention.
I was currently in the dance room with my owner and Rene, being taught how to move properly. Queen Amdora had been opposed to this. Rene was being hired to teach her children, not their pets. Besides, it’s not as if I would be allowed at the party anyways, she argued. Rene had a counter for that. I should, in fact, attend the ball this autumn. Nobles showed off their wealth and status all the time, and pets were a prime way to do so. But how many people can say that their daughter not only tamed a slime, but taught it how to formally dance? It would greatly increase her reputation, something that as a princess Liliana needed to foster sooner rather than later.
Somehow, Rene’s words won over the queen and she grudgingly conceded, allowing me and Liliana to practice together. My owner was overjoyed, and even now still remained chipper. In fact, her attitude and level of improvement have steadily been on the excellent side ever since I started learning alongside her.
Liliana gave me a curtsey that I returned with a squishy bow. She began to dance. One, two, pause, sidestep. One, two, pause, sidestep. Over and over she repeats this, and I imitated her to the best of my ability. I managed to repeat the forms, but never perfectly copy. Most of that was due to my size and shape. Even as a biped my limbs do not have the joints needed for some of the more complex dance steps. But, I struggled on.
Despite all my complaints and gripes, I was starting to get better. I started a week ago, and I already could see cl
ear signs of this improvement. My control was slowly growing, my discipline and willpower were boosted, and the look of joy on my owners face proved to me that this was the right way for me to progress.
“Hmm, I think you should try to lift your legs a bit higher when you move, Jelly. Keeping yourself grounded was good and all, but dance requires limbs to be limber.” Rene gave a titter at her word play before turning to face Liliana.
“Princess, you are doing well. Though perhaps you should try and slow down more. Though he was not dancing with you directly, Jelly was none the less your partner. You cannot go too fast, or you’ll leave him in the dust, and then he’ll scramble to catch up and increase his chances of making a mistake. Remember, dancing is a team effort. You and your partner have to understand your paces, and work together to produce harmony,” Rene explained. Liliana nodded in understanding, her resolve unwavering.
“Good. Now then. One more time, from the top!”
And that was how the rest of the day went. We got released close to five in the evening, and my owner and I took the time off before dinner gratefully.
Liliana looks down at me and flashes me a sincere smile. “Thanks, Jelly. Class was a lot more fun with you around.”
I burbled happily, content to let her talk with me. She continued speaking to me, discussing the lessons from her other classes, the weather, and the upcoming festivities. To my surprise, I learned that there was a second event coming up besides the mid-autumn Adventurer’s Advent, but not one that requires dancing.
Known as the Reaffirmation of Faith, it was a holy ritual that took place at the Temple of the Divine Family on the last day of summer, which was fast approaching. I was not sure what it entailed, as Liliana did not speak much on it, but from what I gathered it was a vital ceremony for all of Sanc Aldet and culminated in a city wide carnival and party. My owner mainly lamented that she never gets to see much of or participate in the activities of the festival.
Hopefully this year would be different for her. After all, if she did well in dance class then her mother promised she could explore the fair. Under guard of course, but still wander freely. I was certain she’d be fine. Her knowledge and poise in public and formal settings was already impressive for a girl of only thirteen springs, and she knew when to restrain her exuberant emotions.
If I may be so bold, I must say that Liliana was an all-around outstanding lady.
Chapter 8: The smiles of Goddesses
Well, there I was, being held in the arms of my owner as we descended from the castle towards the Temple of the Divine Family for the Reaffirmation of Faith.
The days passed in a semi-lucid blur to me. Rene Bluemont drove the two of us, plus Julius, hard, but the results showed themselves every time they needed to present themselves before others besides their families. Liliana and Julius’ grace and poise almost ‘oozed’ through. I’m sorry, that joke was in poor taste. I fear Rene has been influencing me too much lately.
Back to the current state of affairs: The weather was starting to have a cool snap to it, and the royal family was heavily dressed up in the finest outfits they have. Or, one of the finest sets. As wealthy rulers, they had a lot of gold to spend, and much of it had to go to maintaining appearances. While it could be said that the astronomically rich and well-off could afford to live frugally, and the Roan’s tended not to overindulge in their lifestyles, formal occasions demanded excellent attire.
Julius was wearing a deceptively simple blue and purple tunic with the crest of House Roan, a rearing stallion before a golden flame, worked elegantly into the breast pocket above his heart. His brown hair had been slicked down with gel of some sort and combed over. He was fiddling with the silver buttons around his collar, trying to loosen them, all the while his mother fussed with him, trying to fix imagined issues.
Queen Amdora was stunning, lavishly dressed in a dress that was more of a wedding cake than anything else. It was dark blue with silver and gold accents along the hems, while a large golden set of rings studded her fingers. Her nails had been painted a deep crimson, and her lips and cheeks dusted with rouge. The queen’s hair was tightly coiled into an odd three style bun, which draws the hair from her face and reveals the entirety of her regal expression. The overall effect of her outfits made the queen appear both serene and stern, but with nobility and kindness creeping out from her eyes and faint smile.
King Tiberius’s choice of clothing was somewhat more subdued than his wife’s. He wore a tunic of rich, purple fabric tied around his waist with a leather belt dyed an ocean blue, accompanied by a large golden buckle shaped into a roaring flaming holding it up. A much larger version of the family crest was woven onto his chest and onto the back of a cape made of silver and gold silk. Black leather gloves and boots cover his hands and feet, while a large signet ring of platinum dominated his right index finger. Atop his head was a crown, made of thin bands of gold that looked as if they’d been tied together like string rather than a metal, while a stylized flame of yet more gold dominated the center of the headpiece. Clasped in sockets along the crown was a number of rubies and sapphires, cut and polished to a shine, each one filled with mana to power a number of spells and wards woven into the crown’s surface.
Last, but not least, a scabbard and sheath hung at his waist, made of tooled black leather, with a hilt of vividly bright silvery metal standing out starkly. It was the famous long sword of the Savior-King; Soul of the Ruler. Made of mithril and adamantium, with a jeweled pommel of orihalcum and layered with ancient, potent enchantments, it was almost a sacred artifact. It had bathed in the blood of king and country’s enemies for over two thousand years, and despite being concealed in an almost equally magical sheath, I could taste the power of the blade from where I sat. It was like a natural disaster; terrifying, unstoppable, and made all the more frightening for the fact that it was a necessary part of the world.
Shivering slightly, I forced my attention away from the blade and onto my owner. For her part, she wore a dress much less imposing than her mother’s, but still very frilly and fancy. It was a baby blue dress with long silver edges, under which she wore short leggings. Around her neck she wore a simple necklace of braided silk, on which three ornaments hung. In the middle was a golden dove, wings spread for flight. To the right was a stylized bolt of cloth, made of fine silver. And to the left rested a blooming lily flower crafted from silver. These three tokens were symbols of the goddesses worshipped by Varia and the majority of humans, and soon enough we would be entering their hall of prayer.
As we rode through the streets my owner chattered to me as she pointed out this and that beyond the window.
“We live back there, in the Palestone Castle. It’s been there for countless generations here in Sanc Aldet. That’s the name of this city, which is the capitol of Varia!” Liliana explained to me. “The city is pressed up against the Starblind Mountains, with the upper parts settled on artificial plateaus. That makes up the Purple District. It’s where all the best stores are, the aristocrats manors, the Grand Library, assorted schools for the nobility and elite, and of course the Temple of the Divine Family!”
“Down below is Erafore’s third-longest set of steps, the Footsteps of the Gods, which separates the Purple District from the Slope District. All of the guild halls, merchant houses, and less fancy stores can be found there. It’s partly on the slopes, hence the name, and touches the foot of the mountains. But don’t worry, it’s not that steep! It was carefully made with dwarf architects so it isn’t in danger of falling off the mountain any time soon.”
“And then at the very bottom is the Wall District,” the excited princess pointed out, again at something I was unable to see. “Housing for the majority of the city is down there, as well as warehouses and markets. A lot of goods pass through here from the Red Road leading back out to the kingdom or into the various stores here. It’s also surrounded by a massive defensive wall which gives the third part of the city its name.”
“Liliana, we�
��re here,” King Tiberius said, drawing my owner’s attention, as well as mine. Smiling demurely, my princess nodded and prepared to greet the crowds.
The royal carriage approached the Temple of the Divine Family and once we rolled to a stop the family stepped out, one after the other, led by the king. Immediately my senses were flooded by the sea of people that waited beyond. The massive cathedral was hard to miss as well now that I was out of that moving box.
This days was an important one, and the common folk came out in droves to catch a glimpse of the regal ceremony and the royal family. They were kept at a distance by the cities peace keeping guards, and a few units of royal knights. Flanked by members of the royal guard, the so-called Dire Swords, we were allowed a glimpse of the monolithic building as we were escorted up to it.
Vast and numerous blocks of marble and granite composed the body of the church, with a set of large steps leading up towards a pair of doors hewn from oak so large and thick that they could each probably be used to make a house. Intricate carvings of myth and legend adorned the surface of the wood, busts of angels and saints stared down from on high, while angelic warriors stood guard over the building in place of more common gargoyle statuettes and figures.
We were greeted at the door by two people, both in elegant white robes. The one in the lead was a middle aged man, leaning on towards portly and with the beginnings of a double chin. His outfit, while simple, was obviously well made and tailored, and likely cost more than the pair of shoes my owner currently wore. His robes trailed slightly to the floor, and upon the front and back was a golden five pointed star set in the doorframe of a stylized house; the sigil and crest of the Divine Family when the deities were all represented as a whole. In one of the house’s two windows was a small dove, not unlike the stylized one around my owner’s neck. This showed which god he directly served under. Though united, they were still five distinct deities. Finishing off his attire was a mantle of deep red, draped around his shoulders and fastened by a silver cord.
